Take My Breath Away

"Damian, that is one sweet painting! I want it. Would you give it to me? I'm serious. I'll pay you for it," Boswell offered. He really liked the painting on the easel. It depicted a pleasant memory of the kids with their dad. Damian had just put the finishing touches on it, and was standing back, admiring his work.

"Hey, I like it too. A lot. Maybe you should give it to me. I'll double whatever Boswell offers you," Colman said with a wicked grin. Of course he liked it. He thought he looked quite handsome in it. The painting would look nice hanging on his wall.

When he heard his brothers discussing this, Adkins' spirits fell. He also wanted it. He had cash, but he lost half of his money when he adopted a panda. Pandas were not cheap. He was sure he didn't have as much as his brothers did. He had to use his wits to acquire the painting, not his wallet. "We all want it, but there's only one. Why don't we go in on it? Say, five hundred thou each?" he offered.

With an offer like that, Damian's mind was blown. He almost dropped the oil pastel in his hand. The boy had resigned himself to just buying a single panda. But now he'd have the money to buy more than one.

As their dad, Matthew felt left out. Shouldn't he have some kind of say in this? He cleared his throat and said, "What about me, boys? I saw it first."

Boswell craned his neck to look up at his father. Matthew towered over all of his sons, because they were so young. "So?

Stay out of it, Dad. You've got too much money. There's no way we could match up. Besides, you like Mom the most, huh? Just get Damian to paint a picture of Mom. Then you can drop as much cash as you want on it."

Matthew was floored by this. He didn't know exactly what to say. 'Rika's my wife. I see her every day. Why should I spend any money at all on a portrait of her? Never mind. As long as the boys are happy, I'm good.'

He decided to give in and said, "Yeah, Boswell's right. Damian, after you finish up here, take a good look at your mom. I want to see how true to life you can paint her. Deal?"

Damian was on cloud nine, since his brothers and even his father liked his work. He was so excited he couldn't contain it. He nodded his head like a chicken pecking rice. "You got it, Dad," he said with a sweet smile.

"I knew you'd come through!" Matthew patted his head.

The four kids were too young to have bank accounts, so they asked Carlos to apply for four exclusive VIP bank cards in the bank owned by ZL Group.

As soon as they got their money, they couldn't wait to ask Matthew if they could buy more pandas. Technically, they had the money, but Matthew had to arrange it.

Soon enough, the money changed hands, and they all had pandas. They even named them.

And now everyone know what Adkins did for money—he sold his dad's phone number. There were any number of people who wanted his money. And the women who might pay Adkins had more earthy pleasures in mind.

At night, watching a freshly-showered Matthew walk out of the bathroom, Erica carefully placed her camera on the nightstand, yawning. She crawled into bed, ready to sleep.

Matthew lay in the bed with her, held her in his arms and kissed her forehead. "I should be content. I have a wife, great kids, more money than God. But I've always felt like something was missing..."

"What is it?" Erica asked in a weak voice.

"I think—" Before Matthew could finish, his phone on the table next to him started to buzz insistently.

The man picked up the phone and looked at it. It was an unknown number. 'That's weird.' He didn't remember giving his number to anyone he didn't know.

Even so, he still pressed the answer key. "Hello!"

"Good evening, Mr. Huo. It's Jennifer Zheng. Sorry to call so late." The voice on the other end of the line was clear in the quiet night.

It was a woman! A woman called Matthew in the middle of the night! Erica, who had been sleepy, opened her eyes wide. She stretched and snuggled closer to him, trying hear his conversation.

"What's up?" he asked. Matthew knew what Erica was doing. But he had nothing to hide. He tilted his head and drew the phone closer to her so that she could hear it more clearly.

Jennifer's voice was very gentle and sweet. "Nothing serious. I just want to ask if you'd heard anything more about the case we worked on together. Everyone else is here. You free now, Mr. Huo? Come on, have drinks with us. We can catch up."

Matthew's eyes turned cold. He didn't answer the woman's question. Instead he asked, "Why do you have my private number?"

Jennifer faltered, "It's okay if you don't have time. Tell you what, forget I asked."

"I have no time. I need to sleep. Bye!" he refused coldly and decisively.

Jennifer was a little frightened. She said nothing more and hung up the phone in a hurry.

After the call, silence returned to the bedroom. Erica glared at her husband, but he was lost in thought. "How could another woman get your private number?" she asked in a jealous voice.

"You tell me and we'll both know," said Matthew flatly.

The woman got up from his arms and sat up straight. "Humph! And now you make jokes! I think you gave that number to her yourself!"

She didn't believe that another woman would be able to get it if Matthew hadn't given his number to her.

Matthew put his phone aside and pulled her back into his arms. "I really don't know, honey," he said in a helpless tone.

"Think I'm buying that?" Erica snorted. In the same gentle voice as Jennifer's, she mocked, "Mr. Huo, do you have time? Come on, have drinks with us. We can catch up... Mr. Huo, a woman invited you out for drinks in the middle of the night."

Matthew's eyes darkened as he watched her continue her tirade. She never failed to make him angry by referring to him as Mr. Huo. "I heard it this time. Let me guess, she's called before, when I'm not around. Am I right? I never asked you that before. But since I happened to listen in on your phone call this time, tell me honestly, how many women call you every day?"

"It's my private number. No one should have it. Nobody calls me on it except who I want to," he answered.

Erica caught the loophole in his words. "So you want her to call you?"

Matthew didn't know how to respond. In order to set Erica's mind at rest, he took out his phone and dialed Paige's number. "Hi, Paige, it's me. I have a problem for you to solve. Why does Jennifer Zheng, general manager of Season Group, have my private number?"

"I don't know, Mr. Huo. But I'll get on it right away," Paige answered without asking why.

But Erica still wasn't convinced. She snorted and cuddled up to him again. "You'd better get the evidence to prove your innocence. If you can't, I swear I'll tear you apart!" Well, she was just bluffing. She would only tear his clothes off of him. Then she'd sit there and drool over his manly chest.

A smile curling the corners of his mouth, Matthew didn't take her threats seriously. Instead, he moved on top of her. She could feel his interest in his pants. "Honey, I just wanted to say I need a lover in my life..."

Erica's face changed dramatically. "Okay?" she teased. "What does this have to do with me?" 'So is he involved with this mystery woman? He didn't seem happy to hear from her, though, ' she thought.

"Listen to me. I need a little lover... Don't they say a daughter is her father's lover in a previous life?"

Matthew asked. Erica glared at him, patted her chest and said decisively, "Gross. Don't go there. Besides, no. And hell no. I was scared to death when I gave birth to four boys! But you want another kid?"

They were born early. She had a C-section so every child would have a chance at life. If it weren't for Chantel and Tessie keeping her company, she wouldn't even have had the courage to do that.

Matthew stretched out his arm, his big palm gripping her pajama top. He touched the light scar on her lower abdomen, and kissed her lips lovingly. "Okay, we don't need a baby!"

His quick promise made Erica a little uneasy. She whispered, "If you really want a daughter, let's have another baby. I just don't want four more of them."

The man was amused by her. "I don't think I have the power to control that." Having her get pregnant with four children was already quite the achievement. But another four kids? They'd hear the laughter of their kids all day long.

"I'm just putting it out there!" 'What if I did have another four? Oh my God! That would be something to tell the grandkids!' she thought to herself.